Johannesburg - Soweto Fashion Week (SFW) which took place over four days recently, presented a whirlwind of different styles, colours and textures.
Some designers played it safe but many stood out.
We have a look at the fashion forecast created by the designers at SFW and dissect the summer looks that will keep us on trend. And, florals are a men's swimwear trend this season.
All round trend
Bespoke Sports Luxe
The sports luxe trend has managed to stay relevant over the past year with retail stores and global sports brands finding ways to make sneakers, tracksuits and sports accessories hot numbers. At SFW we saw designers step it up by offering bespoke sports luxe where more attention is paid to the details on the garment.
For women, with designer Christopher Malo, we saw mesh bomber jackets and trench coats in navy and black, which contrasted with the white and cream tracksuit-styled pants, presented with a pop of orange detailing.
Meanwhile McGale by Lebo offered men bold, dark prints on jackets and pants that would usually be categorised as casual, but his styling offered a more formal perspective. Colour schemes were blues and browns with a touch of cream. Paired with tailored shirts and caps, his tracksuits made for a refreshing take on sports luxe.
Men
Asian Aspirations
The week saw many subtle aspects of East Asian inspired fashion choices in the clothes, but the designer that truly embodied Japanese inspiration was Floyd Avenue. His Tisc Tisc collection had a continuous thread of kimono-style collars, jackets and shirts. His stand-out pieces were the dramatic collar knee-length shirts and dark demin flared pants from the Haori-style of formal tradition Japanese clothing. Another look that will soon be everywhere is the long-sleeve Yukata style shirts that tie at the side like robes.
Women
Edgy Transparents
Translucent fabrics wove their way into most shows and this is one of the best ways to stay cool this summer.
From Christopher Malo's mesh dresses, trench coats and bomber jackets to Artistic Gusto's embroidered white A-line dresses and jumpsuits, the message from the runway was clear - translucent is on-trend. Some designers chose to place two translucent fabrics over each other to create a layered look with less exposure, but all versions of the trend were able to cross over between casual and formal with a few accessory changes.
Hair styles to look out for:
* Boxy Afro.
* Intricately braided Mohawk.
*l Asymmetrical pigtail up-do.
Sunday Independent